Wyrd: Preview Roundup

The Frenzy:

*Queue Jaws theme music*

The oceans are pretty crazy places in the real world, so of course in Malifaux they take danger to a whole new level. Nothing epitomizes danger quite like the Frenzy, one of the commanders of the Gibbering Hordes.

As far as Commanders go, the Frenzy is one of the stranger ones. Rather than a powerful individual, they are actually a group of creatures known as Frenzies that travel in a hunting pack.

Frenzies have a strict, hierarchical command structure. If there are three Frenzies or less in a pod, they work together to bully the weaker creatures into submission. If there are more than three Frenzies, only the strongest three are in charge. Though this arrangement is simple, there are regular challenges to authority, and in larger pods, the three Frenzies in charge of the group can change quite regularly.

Frenzies are capable of a very rudimentary form of telepathic communication. They do not speak but instead project their thoughts outward. They cannot read or command thoughts, and it is incredibly challenging for them to single out a single person with their thoughts (essentially the equivalent of a whisper).

These telepathic emanations can be felt by those the Frenzy are not attempting to communicate with, which can create an intense amount of discomfort or even fear as others pick up on the hunger and drive of the Frenzy.

On the table, the Frenzy benefits immensely from being a Squad. Most importantly, they can Reinforce if they lose members, which gives them a greater capacity to survive incoming attacks than most Commanders.

Each Frenzy operates independently, though they must still adhere to the 8″ distance limiter. This means that the Frenzy gets three Actions from an Order in addition to their one Morale Action, which can be quite deadly, given the strength of the Tear Apart Action.

Even if the Frenzy is uninjured, it can still use Reinforcement Tokens to make extra attacks. This makes the Frenzy a very „lead from the front“ Commander.

Gravedigger:

Bring out yer dead!

Today’s Monday preview is for all of us who are shuffling around this morning like certain undead might do. We are taking a look at an awesome new piece of art from the upcoming Gravedigger for the Ressurrectionists.

Margret Belle:

The name’s Belle…Margaret Belle.

This Friday we are looking at a new commander for the King’s Empire. Unlike the field commander that is Edmonton, Margaret Belle is a spy. Let’s take a look!

If Charles Edmonton is the Empire’s best soldier, Margaret Belle is its best spy. She is an incredibly skilled woman, having mastered multiple languages, magics, and nefarious skills. Belle uses all of these in the service of the Crown, gathering intelligence the world over to protect both King and country.

Belle grew up in a London orphanage, and at a young age, she entered into service for the state. The Crown ensured that she was taught the importance of information, and since that time, she has gathered every scrap of knowledge she could find. It drove her to be one of the most skilled spies in the world.

Once in battle, Margaret Belle takes advantage of her shadow-manipulating magic to move from one darkened corner of the battlefield to the next, sometimes even rising up from an enemy soldier’s own shadow. She is not fond of firearms, but her poisoned knife is more than enough to dispatch most enemies.

Despite her status as a spy, Belle has received special permission to call upon any troops she needs in pursuit of her duties, which makes her an unorthodox but effective Commander for the King’s Empire.

On the tabletop, Belle is an assassin. She is able to get into the action quickly by teleporting around the battlefield. Her high Speed, Defense, and Armor help her survive once she’s pounced on her target.

Because of her mobility, Belle will often leave her supporting Fireteams behind. This means that she needs to take care not to get surrounded, as poor positioning will quickly lead to her untimely demise.

That being said, there is no better unit in the game for taking on enemy Commanders. The combination of her Backstab and Poisoned Knife Actions can throw a wrench into anyone’s game.

If Belle manages to take out the enemy Commander, she is best served by using her Mobility to claim distant objectives or focus on other vulnerable units, as she fairs poorly in drawn-out engagements.

Gautraeux Bokor:

Somehow Monday find a way to poke it’s head up every week, but we try to make it better with a Monday Preview! Today we are looking at the Gautraeux Bokor. I’ll let this spooky little gremlin speak for himself…and the spirits.

Fenton Brahms:

Happy Friday Wyrdos! It’s time to take a look at one of our new commanders, Fenton Brahms. His devotion to the cult is something that spreads fear among his enemies, and encourages his comrades to greater feats of glory! Let’s take a look.

Fenton Brahms, once a soldier of the King’s Empire, was found left for dead in the desert. During the months he spent recovering, he was given the Contiones de Rege Flammae as a means to cope with the pain. When the rest of the world felt like a cruel joke, Brahms found comfort in the book; Ephraim Wade’s prophecies gave meaning to his life. Unbeknownst to him, Brahms was being warped by every word.

Brahms traveled to London after seeing a vision, where he was greeted by the beauty of Wade’s predictions – of a world wreathed in flame. There, Fenton Brahms embraced the warmth of the Burning Man and found his purpose: to lead the purge, and to make the world beautiful once again.

On the table, Brahms channels the Cult’s insanity into power. He excels in placing Shaken Tokens on units, which either weakens the enemy or helps his own forces flip to Glory.

Fenton can lead from the front or the back. His Strangely Glowing Staff is a powerful Strength 4, which allows him to hold his own in melee. This attack becomes even more potent when he’s in Glory and can use his Cascading Energy Trigger to increase its Strength.

When leading from the back, Fenton can use his Morale Action to generate additional Actions from nearby Squad Fireteams. This makes other Cult units that much more effective.

If he is in Glory, Fenton gains the powerful Disintegrating Blast Action. Although it only has a base Strength of 2, it has the potential to become one of the strongest attacks in the game, if luck is on your side.

Perhaps more importantly, Fenton is very good at getting cards into the Cult’s discard pile. This can be very helpful when combined with the Cult’s ability to give out a Shaken Token whenever an Ace enters its discard pile.